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For Heaven’s Sake: Squadron 201 and the Yom Kippur War by Aviram Barkai

Aviram Barkai
Tank Commander (reserves) who commanded a division of tanks during the Yom Kippur war and succeeded in lifting one boulder after the other, relentlessly seeking the truth. He interviewed 230 combat soldiers and commanders and reviewed mountains of material, which included combat journals and the Agranat report. The results found in this hair-raising and dramatic book combines the terror of the first days of war and the stories of the steel chariots with its young heroes.

A few minutes before 2 o’clock, on Yom Kippur, Saturday, October 6, 1973, the Syrian army launched a full attack on the Golan Heights. During the first hours of combat and the most critical, only Tank Brigade 188 stood between the Syrian troops and Lake Kinneret. Divided into several tank units lined along the border, they were under strict orders from their commanders not to move back and went on to halt the invasion of Syrian troops despite being severely outnumbered.

The same tanks courageously fought the innumerable amount of troops facing them, stopping the Syrian Tank Divisions which threatened to reach the Jordan River, to continue into the Galilee, the Valleys and then onto Haifa.

On the Edge tells the stories of these heroes; the tank-crew man, drivers, loaders, gunners and commanders to whom the State of Israel is indebted and has not been privy to their heroic acts.

“During no Israeli war did a unit lose all its leaders over the course of 24 hours during the first battles.

“During no Israeli war was a brigade considered out of action and then rose, like the mythological Phoenix, to continue its role in battle and together with other units, manged to push Syrian troops back into Syrian territory.

“188 is the only brigade in Israeli’s military history that experienced these events – until now, not exposed to the public.”– Aviram Barkai Tank Commander (reserves) who commanded a division of tanks during the Yom Kippur war and succeeded in lifting one boulder after the other, relentlessly seeking the truth. He interviewed 230 combat soldiers and commanders and reviewed mountains of material, which included combat journals and the Agranat report. The results found in this hair-raising and dramatic book combines the terror of the first days of war and the stories of the steel chariots with its young heroes.

“I read this book in one sitting. I recommend it to every soldier and commander.” – Deputy Defense Minister, Matan Vilnai, General (reserves)